


Into the Fire

by VirginiasWolf



Series: Life Moves On [8]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 04:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirginiasWolf/pseuds/VirginiasWolf
Summary: Apparently the universe can't help but heaping little cruelties onto Richard Poole as he's left INTERPOL only to be thrust right back into Croydon instead. This time he has a secret weapon with him though although even he isn't aware of the full power of the French Caribbean hurricane that is about to be released on his former tormentors.Part of the Life Moves on Series. Takes place between London Calling and Pooles in Pajamas





	Into the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I had this weird idea that Richard might end up right back at Croydon as this might have been a job that would take him back quickly. Fortunately for Richard and unfortunately for the Doug Anderson cronies, meek quiet little Dickie Boy has managed to bring one hell of a hurricane to his side and she isn't beyond using trickery to get what she wants or to defend her fiancee.

Richard is back at Croydon like some sort of sick joke. He supposes he should be relieved that he's finally out of the nightmare of INTERPOL, but if anything this has all proved that the general population doesn't see him as a living breathing human. Dickie Boy the robotic freak who can be passed from one miserable situation to the next without the least consideration for what his emotional well-being might be.

  
Except it isn't going to be as miserable this time he reminds himself. He isn't going through this alone and in fact, will never again. He has a fiancee who has seen him at his absolute ugliest and still wants to make her life with him. It's almost a consolation that this amazing, beautiful woman will be right next to him in the work trenches as well, but he still doesn't like seeing her subjected to the gross boys club hierarchy of the station that will certainly look at a woman, especially an "exotic" one as some sort of object. Camille represents the kind of strength he has never had though. She won't let her partner bring her down, even if the man is a vile, reprehensible sexist pig.

  
Although they've arrived together on this first day of work they've decided to purposely time everything so this doesn't appear to be the case. Richard sits in the car park for a full ten minutes taking in the colors of the other cars and an odd floor stain that somehow reminds him of Commissioner Patterson although he can't quite figure out why.

  
The elevator ride up to his old office is strange. This is a place that had once been familiar, although not welcome, yet the people who ride with him are different.

  
Well mostly different. There is one man he recognizes, William Barnett, a Doug Anderson crony who sizes him up for a moment before recognition hits. "Couldn't stay away from this place, could you Dickie Boy?"

  
"Something like that," Richard mutters quietly just as the elevator opens. So much for hoping that the years had caused his cursed nickname to be forgotten.

  
He doesn't have time to dwell on this though, because the scene he is immediately greeted with is unexpected, to say the least.

  
"There are reasons why we shouldn't allow women or immigrants," Barnett sneers as he takes in the scene.

  
Richard finds this to be an ignorant comment as their current captain is a woman, but she isn't the one causing the scene right now, Camille is. What feels even stranger is that what she is doing doesn't feel much like the woman he has grown to adore. From what he is catching, it sounds like she's protesting the partner she has been assigned, but she isn't speaking in her normal fiery, passionate tonation. Instead, she's talking much softer than usual and almost playing timid.

  
He almost wonders if she's managed to hit her head within the ten minutes since he last saw her and he's half tempted to completely disregard their whole pretense of playing like they only vaguely know each other through working together in INTERPOL and rush to make sure she's actually okay, but then for the briefest of seconds she makes eye contact with him and he realizes that she's only pretending to be upset.

  
Quietly he makes his way to the desk he's been assigned, which not surprisingly is the same out of the way one he had before. What kind of game is Camille playing, and why does it require her making such an obvious impression?

  
He's busy trying to arrange his meager personal effects on the desk when suddenly he catches a movement in the desk across from his as a figure sits down.

  
"So, I hear you're the man to show me the bonds in this station."

  
The voice can only belong to one person, and without looking up Richard mutters "Ropes Camille, the correct phrase is show me the ropes and shouldn't you be asking your new partner that question?"

  
Now he does look up and she smiles patiently at him. "Yes, I believe that's exactly what I'm doing."

  
"We're partners?" Richard blinks suddenly, unsure of how to respond to her comment. In the past, he hadn't been assigned a partner at Croydon. Not a single soul had wanted to work that closely with the weird guy. Of course, Camille would be the one person who wouldn't be particularly bothered by his strange aura, yet he can't imagine how they actually got assigned to be partners.

  
"What do you think my little stunt earlier was about? I told the captain about how you'd held me up in Paris even though I was terrified to be working there and how I felt most comfortable working next to you, especially in a foreign country."

  
Now Richard is just confused. He is also a bit flattered, but mainly confused. "But you lied to her."

  
The patient yet frustrated smile appears again. "Richard. I lied because I had to. We're supposed to have each other's backs, remember, and I'm pretty sure we solve cases best together."

  
"But she's going to be angry when she finds out that you lied to her."

  
"I don't think our captain is as tough as she acts. Angry at first, yes, but she looked rather relieved to finally have another woman on her team so I think I'll be forgiven especially when it comes out why I lied."

  
"Which is?" He has to actually hear her say the words before he'll believe them. Otherwise, he's just going to assume that he is being selfish by believing everything is about him.

  
"Well, your fiancee kind of asked me to keep an eye on you."

  
He stares blankly at her for a second before responding. "You asked yourself to keep an eye on me?"

  
Apparently his inability to understand exactly what point she's trying to make is wearing on her fast. "You're not being much fun right now."

  
Great. First day of work and he's managed to make his new work partner, who also happens to be his fiancee, mad at him. He can't imagine this turning out in a good way, which is why he's sulking when she looks up again.

  
"Look, I know how much you hate it here and I don't really blame you for that. The men I've met so far this morning are all pigs, but that's why we're sticking together," she pauses for a moment to look around and make sure they aren't being watched before reaching across their desks to where his hand is resting and grabbing it. "You need a partner you can trust and I really do need someone to show me the ropes because these London ways are very different from what I'm used to, and we both need each other." She drops his hand and he immediately wishes she would just continue to hold it although they are trying to be secretive to their new coworkers. After a moment's pause, Camille smiles and adds, "And I happen to think that all the other detectives are going to become quite jealous of you with your very attractive French partner whom you get to spend all day working closely with."

  
At this, Richard can't help but smile and come back with an attempt at a joke. "Just all day?"

  
"Well, there's no need to rub their faces in it. At least not until after I've actually married you."

  
He doesn't intend for that last part to make him feel anxious, but it does. What if she suddenly reconsiders wanting to be his wife? He could hardly blame her if she did so. After all, he's spent forty-six years having to live with himself and he can't imagine another person willingly tying their life to his. "Right."

  
The anxiety must show on his face because Camille immediately states "Richard, I'm not going to change my mind about marrying you. I've wanted you for quite a while now, and there is nothing you could possibly do in the next few months that will make me love you less. Now I think we might want to actually start work before we become the subject of office gossip. We wouldn't want to have a rumor started about us on the very first day, even if it is completely truthful."

  
Maybe this time working Croydon won't be quite so daunting, and dare he say he might even actually enjoy coming to work every morning.


End file.
